Guns vs. Police Departments

[DeactiveCarib]

just out of curiosity, i am intersted in seeing how many here trust their Police Dept's to protect them, or on the other side depend on their own personal firearm for their saftey

I trust my local PD

[ParrotheadGator]

I trust my personal firearm and concealed weapons permit.

Nothing against the PD, I'm sure they're good at their job.

But the PD aren't at my home night. They're not at the ATM with me if it's late at night. They're not out in the dark parking lot with me if I decide to go grocery shopping in the middle of the night.

Though it gets little publicity, a lot of crimes are stopped by citizens with concealed weapons (legal). I hope I'm never in that situation, but if I ever found myself in the position where I can protect my wife or any other innocent bystander, I'm capable of doing it.

[PalmettoSon]

Have seen the problems that keeping a firearm in the house can cause (even with no bullets in the house) so I'll let the cops handle the weapons.

[12vmanRick]

The police seem more interested in speeders than real crimes but that is because traffic offenses bring revenue. Maybe we should reverse the thinking, more revenue for crimes and a lot less for traffic violations

[ParrotheadGator]

Have seen the problems that keeping a firearm in the house can cause (even with no bullts in the house) so I'll let the cops handle the weapons.

The problems come from bad parents, not the firearm.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Have seen the problems that keeping a firearm in the house can cause (even with no bullts in the house) so I'll let the cops handle the weapons.

The problems come from bad parents, not the firearm.

That's too simplistic. Even the best of parents can have a tragic accident happen.

This is a very personal issue, with no universal right and wrong answers, because each and every situation is different, and everyone has a right to make their own decision regarding risk, both the risk of the area/situation they live in and the risk of keeping a firearm in the house.

It's interesting to see each other's opinions, but I see no reason to beat each other up over strongly help opinions on either side of the fence.

[LIPH]

To play the Devil's advocate, when I was in law school a guy named Colin Ferguson pulled a gun on a Long Island Railroad train and started shooting. It was 12 years ago so I don't remember the exact numbers but he killed about 4 or 5 people and wounded several others. My representative in Congress, Carolyn McCarthy, is the widow of one of the victims and her son was wounded in the attack. After it happened some gun nuts (for the record, I don't consider every pro-gun person a nut, but some are extremists) said if other people on the train had guns this never would have happened. Think about that. You're on a rush hour train, more than 100 people in each car, the train is moving and it's not the smoothest ride, the cars are swaying back and forth. What would have happened if say, 5 or 6 people pulled out pieces and started blasting away? How many more people would have been shot? Not every person who owns a gun is an expert marksman and there's a big difference between being a good shot when you're firing at a stationary target in a range and being a good shot in the situation described above.

[12vmanRick]

Not every person who owns a gun is an expert marksman and there's a big difference between being a good shot when you're firing at a stationary target in a range and being a good shot in the situation

Valid point but and for every instance you can give of that I am sure there have been those lucky enough to have a gun, know what they are doing and be able to fend off attackers. It just happened here in Atlanta with a woman who was armed.

That's too simplistic. Even the best of parents can have a tragic accident happen.

Jen I respectfully disagree. If a parent puts a lock on the trigger and the key somewhere else or keeps it with them. There is no accident. I have never heard one incident in this state where a properly locked gun, obtained by a child killed anyone. I have heard every account of, under the bed, in the drawer, got the key to the gun case, etc...

[nycparrothead]

I hate it when I agree with Larry, but in this case I do....

[rednekkPH]

I have alot of faith in a well-trained police force. That said, even the best police can't be in all places at all times - especially in cases like mine, where the nearest police station is 30 minutes away from my home. For these reasons, I take responsibility for my own safety, and for me that means my firearms and my permit to carry them.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

That's too simplistic. Even the best of parents can have a tragic accident happen.

Jen I respectfully disagree. If a parent puts a lock on the trigger and the key somewhere else or keeps it with them. There is no accident. I have never heard one incident in this state where a properly locked gun, obtained by a child killed anyone. I have heard every account of, under the bed, in the drawer, got the key to the gun case, etc...

Yes, if it's properly locked. But *accidents* still happen. I'm not talking about keeping a loaded gun at a bedside, etc. For instance, I know of a situation where a law enforcement officer came home and was distracted for just a minute by two of his kids arguing. In those few seconds, another child picked up his as-yet-unstowed service revolver and killed another child. This man was not a bad parent. He had a moment's distraction and a tragedy occurred. That's why I say it's a very personal choice, and no one should be criticized for not wanting a weapon in their house.

Likewise, no one should be criticized for KEEPING a properly stowed weapon in their house.

[12vmanRick]

That's too simplistic. Even the best of parents can have a tragic accident happen.

Jen I respectfully disagree. If a parent puts a lock on the trigger and the key somewhere else or keeps it with them. There is no accident. I have never heard one incident in this state where a properly locked gun, obtained by a child killed anyone. I have heard every account of, under the bed, in the drawer, got the key to the gun case, etc...

Yes, if it's properly locked. But *accidents* still happen. I'm not talking about keeping a loaded gun at a bedside, etc. For instance, I know of a situation where a law enforcement officer came home and was distracted for just a minute by two of his kids arguing. In those few seconds, another child picked up his as-yet-unstowed service revolver and killed another child. This man was not a bad parent. He had a moment's distraction and a tragedy occurred. That's why I say it's a very personal choice, and no one should be criticized for not wanting a weapon in their house.

Likewise, no one should be criticized for KEEPING a properly stowed weapon in their house.

would you agree then that your example is a case of an adult not being responsible? It's sad it happened but it really seems to make my point clearer.

[sy]

I personally have faith in both. My husband and father have both had concealed gun permits since they were able to, and have both instilled in me the knowledge to use a gun 'safely' (dad and hubby make me go to shooting range every couple of years). There is a gun stowed beside the bed on both sides of the bed (we have no children).

Hopefully I will never ever need to use that gun, but I do feel safer in knowing that it might give me a chance to get the 911 call in until the police get to my house. I view it as buying me some time, not a weapon I'm going to use.

But then, I also hope my dog and the alarm system would scare them off before I ever needed to pull it.

As for outside the house, I don't know. I would be afraid carrying a gun on my person might somehow invite trouble if someone saw it, and if I got in a situation where I needed to use it, I would probably freeze and forget I even had it, or stupidly shoot myself. I just try to be very aware of my surroundings and avoid shady situations in lieu of carrying a firearm.

Just my opinion, though.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

would you agree then that your example is a case of an adult not being responsible? It's sad it happened but it really seems to make my point clearer.

Irresponsible, yes. A bad parent, no. As you can imagine, it shattered his life. He had to be institutionalized.

I really feel this is an incredibly personal issue, and no one, on EITHER side of the issue, should be criticized for their choices.

You'll note that I haven't even given you my opinion, or said whether or not I keep a weapon in the house...

[ParrotheadGator]

Have seen the problems that keeping a firearm in the house can cause (even with no bullts in the house) so I'll let the cops handle the weapons.

The problems come from bad parents, not the firearm.

That's too simplistic. Even the best of parents can have a tragic accident happen.

This is a very personal issue, with no universal right and wrong answers, because each and every situation is different, and everyone has a right to make their own decision regarding risk, both the risk of the area/situation they live in and the risk of keeping a firearm in the house.

It's interesting to see each other's opinions, but I see no reason to beat each other up over strongly help opinions on either side of the fence.

look up real statistics on this. More children are killed by beating, poisoning, drowning, and various other methods of death than being accidentally shot. It's a fact.

Anti-gun advocates statistics are largely skewed because they count murders in with accidental deaths. They consider children 18 year old gang bangers (hardly accidentaly or a child). Under real government statistics, the actual number of accidental deaths of children by a firearm are extremely low.

Now consider the amount of swimming pools or automobiles. THe numbers of either of these for deaths are far, far greater than firearms.

[ParrotheadGator]

btw - I'm not saying that accidents or tragedies don't happen. Of course they do. However, it's not very common and those few isolated incidents get all the attention, when many crimes are thrwarted and those go totally ignored.

[Moonie]

There has never been anyone killed by an unloaded firearm. And there never will be.... the responsibility of keeping that firearm out of the wrong hands lies solely with the owner of that firearm..

I lived 15 miles from the Sherriff's Office. Fifteen crooked, winding miles, and could at any given time, a Deputy might have been 45 miles from where I lived. Since moving to South East Georgia, the only statistics that have changed much is that the road is now straight and flat..

It would have been insane for me to have relied on a Deputy from the Sherriffs Office to have arrived in timely order had the need been there. Fortunately, it never happened that I needed them, but I would have been prepared to defend myself, and my family, and would have not hesitated to have done so.

We all have stories, some very near and dear to us, of a firearm being in the wrong hands and a fatality occured. And they continue to happen as well as this debate.

So far, we have the constitution on our side. God help us if we ever lose that right.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Have seen the problems that keeping a firearm in the house can cause (even with no bullts in the house) so I'll let the cops handle the weapons.

The problems come from bad parents, not the firearm.

That's too simplistic. Even the best of parents can have a tragic accident happen.

This is a very personal issue, with no universal right and wrong answers, because each and every situation is different, and everyone has a right to make their own decision regarding risk, both the risk of the area/situation they live in and the risk of keeping a firearm in the house.

It's interesting to see each other's opinions, but I see no reason to beat each other up over strongly help opinions on either side of the fence.

look up real statistics on this. More children are killed by beating, poisoning, drowning, and various other methods of death than being accidentally shot. It's a fact.

Anti-gun advocates statistics are largely skewed because they count murders in with accidental deaths. They consider children 18 year old gang bangers (hardly accidentaly or a child). Under real government statistics, the actual number of accidental deaths of children by a firearm are extremely low.

Now consider the amount of swimming pools or automobiles. THe numbers of either of these for deaths are far, far greater than firearms.

I don't disagree with any of what you say, but why is it so important to force your opinion on others?

I have a swimming pool. It's far more dangerous than the properly stowed weapon that is sometimes in my house.

What I object to in this thread is the sense that people feel the need to write paragraph after paragraph trying to convince others that their opinion is RIGHT.

There are multiple correct opinions here, because there are multiple situations. Sy keeps a gun by the bed. That works for her. I could never do that; there are kids in my house. Different situations, different right answers.

[12vmanRick]

would you agree then that your example is a case of an adult not being responsible? It's sad it happened but it really seems to make my point clearer.

Irresponsible, yes. A bad parent, no. As you can imagine, it shattered his life. He had to be institutionalized.

I really feel this is an incredibly personal issue, and no one, on EITHER side of the issue, should be criticized for their choices.

You'll note that I haven't even given you my opinion, or said whether or not I keep a weapon in the house...

I agree that neither should be criticized!!! I was just stating my opinion and getting other perspectives. Most things like this are personal preferences that everyone has a right to have and others should respect.

and yea Jen on your last line... I took note of that early on. I just don't like it when people blame guns for lack of adult responsibility.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

So far, we have the constitution on our side. God help us if we ever lose that right.

And that, my friends, is the bottom line, IMHO.